Sleeve holder for pressing machine



Jan. 22, 1957 R. G. MOLAGAN SLEEVE HOLDER FOR PRESSING MACHINE Filed June 9. 1954 IN V EN TOR.

6 5 M5. v 3 a w L a A m y SLEEVE HOLDER FQR PRESSING MIACHINE v Russeli G. Mohegan, Milford, Ohio, assiguor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of ()hio Application June 9, 1954, SerialNo. 435,425

4 Claims. (Cl. 223-57) The invention relates to garment pressing machines, and more particularly to machines for pressing garments of the type having sleeves or similar appendages which should desirably be held away from the pressing area until the pressing members are moved into operating position. The present invention is especially adapted to the finishing of shirts, and coats such as are often worn by waiters, barbers, dentists, laboratory technicians, etc.

A pressing machine for work of this type usually comprises a work-supporting buck on which the article, such as a shirt, is dressed. it further usually comprises a pair of movable members, such as heated chests, and means for moving the chests into and out of pressing relationship with the buck, and, ofcourse, with the article carried thereon.

Although the chests are provided with a gap or opening thcrebetween to permit sleeves or the like to extend therethrough, there is always the possibility that one or both sleeves may be pinched between the chests, or sometimes between a chest and the buck, as the chest moves to operating position. Sleeve holders or sleeve clamps have heretofore been provided for holding the sleeves away from the danger zone until the chests are in operative contact with the buck.

- In commercial laundry operations, such as the one herein being discussed, profitable operation requires that a garment be satisfactorily finished in a minimum time, with a minimum number of operator operations. it is desirable, therefore, that the sleeve clamping operation be simple, and efiicient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sleeve clamp which can be operated to grasp the sleeve in, a rapid and simple manner.

A further object is to provide a sleeve clamp as characterized in the last preceding paragraph, and which will be automatically released as the pressing chests reach operative position so that the garment is ready to be undressed from the form as soon as the pressing operation is completed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sleeve clamp as defined in the last two preceding paragraphs, and in which the clamp release is directly responsive to movement of one of the pressing chests.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding previously pressed sleeves by the cult portion so as not to wrinkle or disturb the result of the previous finishing operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is approximately a top plan view of the upper part of a garment pressing buck showing the structure and manner of attachment of my sleeve clamp.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of the manual operating handle and associated structural parts, enlarged and taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3, showing the parts in sleeve-clamping position.

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Fig. 3 is a view of the upper portions of the buck and chests, showing the chests in idle position.

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views, somewhat enlarged, taken on the respective lines 44 and 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a buck It} with a cost 11 dressed thereon, the coat beingprovided with sleeves 11a, previously pressed although not necessarily so, said sleeves being held outside the bodypressing zone by means of a clamp generally referred to by the reference character 12 in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 3 shows the upper portions of a pair of pressing bucks l3 and 14 in idle position, namely spaced from buck 16. As is well known to those skilled in the art, means (not shown) is provided for producing approach and withdrawal movement of the chests with respect to the buck, and also for moving the buck into pressing position between the chests, as indicated in Fig. 3, and out of pressing position to facilitate thedressing and undressing operations.

in the present instance the sleeve clamp assembly is carried on a post 15, which likewise supports a front clamping device 16 not necessary to here describe since it forms no part of the present invention. The post 15 is fixed with respect to the buck and is supported thereon.

The clamp 12 has a fixed portion and a movable .portion. The fixed portion may be of any suitable character, but is here shown as assembled from a pair of generally parallel rods, strips, or bars 17 and 13 bolted to the block 15 and extending laterally to the right and left (Fig. l) theretrom.- At opposed ends thestrips'1'7 and 18 are stilt'ened and connected by respective blocks 19 and 29 and at intermediate points by other blocks 21 and 22. The assembly of strips 317 and 18 could be changed to a single, integral member, but can be made considerably smaller and lighter when constructed as shown and described.

The movable members of the clamp consist of a pair of single, relatively resilient, strips 25 and 25a, generally parallel to the fixed member. Since the right and left clamping portions (Fig. l) are identical, subsequent description will be confined to the one on the right, including the appropriate views of Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

A U-shaped bracket 27 is carried on strip 18, and its legs are spanned by a pivot bolt 28. Movable clamp member 25 has a block 29 welded thereto, and journalled on bolt 2%. Block 22 has a compression spring 3i seated therein, and abutting the lower face of strip 25, so as to bias the outer end of strip 25 to closed, clamping position against strip 18. A similar spring Talia functions identically for strip 250/. These blocks have upward arched extensions for limiting upward movement of the movable strips. Normally such clamping relationship is prevented as follows.

Swingably mounted on block 25) is a manually operatable latch lever Ill provided with a shoulder 32 adapted to normally rest under a pin 33 Welded on strip 25, thereby holding strip 25 away from strip 18. By manually flipping lever 31 counterclockwise, the shoulder slips from beneath pin 33, whereupon spring 30 is effective to swing strip 25 into clamping position. This clamping position is illustrated in Fig. 2 as applied to the left end of strip 25a.

A light spring 34, attached at its opposed ends to the latch lever and the pivot bolt 28, biases the latch lever to unclamping position, but when the lever is flipped to clamped position the spring 34 is ineffective by reason of the relative position of the shoulder 32 and pin 33 in the position of Fig. 2. However if either strip 25 or 25a is moved about its pivot 28 or 28a, as will later be described, until pin 33 or 33a clears the shoulder on the .to pressing position.

seesaw latch lever, spring 34 or 34a will then take effect to pull its latch lever to the position of Fig. l in which the clamping effect is nullified.

Clamp release mechanism is provided which is automatically responsive to movement of the pressing chest Such mechanism comprises an operating plunger 36 (Figs. 1 and 3) slidable in a drilled member 37 fixed on a part of the chest support 38. The plunger is yieldably biased to advanced position by a compression spring 39. The plunger has an enlarged operating head 40 so disposed as to contact the inner ends of movable strips 25 and 25a when the chests move inwardly.

The operation of the device is as follows, referring to the left hand end of Fig. 1. The operator dresses a sleeved garment on the buck which is normally laterally removed from between the chests. The operator then slides a sleeve end (or cuff) between the tip ol' trips 18 and 25a and swings latch arm 31:: clockwise. When shoulder 32:: passes pin 33a the strip 25a snaps to clamping contact with the sleeve 11a as shown in Fig. 2. The same operation is repeated at the right hand end of Fig. .l. The operator then puts in motion suitable mechanism (not shown) for moving the buck between chests .13 and 14, and for thereafter causing the chests to move to pressing contact with the garment on the buck. The particular type or sequence of movements is immaterial in the functioning of the clamp release, all that required being relative movement between the clamping structure and some abutment on the chest 1d, its support, or similar structure adjacent thereto, in the present instance the plunger 36.

About the time the chest to makes contact with the buck the plunger head 46 applies initial pressure to the inner ends of strips 25 and 25a with the results hereto fore noted. The spring 34 (or 34a) then swings its respective latch lever to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the pins 33 and 33a abut the upper ends of the respective latch levers. This position is maintained until the chests again open, removing the plunger from contact with the inner ends of strips 25 and 25a. The outer ends of said strips then settle downwardly, biased by springs 30 and 30a, until the pins 33 and 33a abut the shoulders 32 and 32a, this being the original position at the beginning of the cycle.

In the arrangement illustrated in the present drawings the latch reset springs 34 and 34a are not indispensible, since the manuals 31 and 31a have their center of gravity displaced from the vertical plane of their respective pivot pins in such manner that they tend to swing to latching position if unrestrained. Use of the springs assures that the manuals will not stick or catch when released.

What I claim is:

1. In a pressing machine of the type wherein the body portion of a sleeved garment is supported on a buck, the sleeves being outside the pressing area, and a pressing member is disposed for alternate movement to pressing position against said buck and to withdrawal movement away from said buck, sleeve clamp means supported on said buck and including a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member, spring biasing means disposed to induce clamping movement of said movable clamping member whereby to grip a garment sleeve and hold it in clamped position, and means automatically responsive to movement of said pressing member into pressing engagement with said buck. for causing unclamping movement of said movable clamping member to release said sleeve.

2. in a pressing machine of the type wherein the body portion or a sleeved garment is supported on a buck, and a pressing member is disposed for alternate movement to pressing position against said buck and to withdrawal movement away from said buck, the sleeves being outside the pressing area, sleeve clarnp means supported on said buck and including a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member, means for instituting clamping movement of said movable clamping member whereby to grip a garment sleeve and hold it in clamped position, and means for causing unclamping movement of said clamp to release said sleeve, said last-named means including a clamp release member attached to said pressing member and positioned to contact and actuate said movable clamping member upon movement of said pressing member into pressing position in a direction normal to the pressing surface.

3. In a pressing machine of the type wherein a sleeved garment is supported on a buck, and a pressing member is disposed for alternate movement to pressing position against said buck and to withdrawal movement away from said buck, sleeve clamp means supported on said' buck and including a fixed ciamping member and a movable clamping member, said movable clamping member being swingably connected to said fixed clamping member, and being spring biased to clamping position, removable abutment means preventing movement of said movable clamping member to said clamping position, manually operatable means for moving said abutment and permitting said movable clamping member to grip a garment sleeve and hold it between said movable clamping member and said fixed clamping member, and means automatically responsive to movement of said pressing member into pressing position for causing unclamping movement of said movable clamping member to release said sleeve. I

4. in a pressing machine of the type wherein a sleeved garment is supported on a buck, and a pressing member is disposed for alternate movement to pressing position against said buck and to Withdrawal movement away from said buck, sleeve clamping means supported on said buck and including a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member, said movable clamping member being swingably connected to said fixed clamping member, and being spring biased to clamping position, removable abutment means normally preventing movement of said clamping member to said clamping position, manually operatable means for moving said abutment and permitting said movable clamping member to grip a garment sleeve and hold it in clamped position, means automatically responsive to movement of said pressing memher into pressing position for causing unclamping move ment of said clamp to release said sleeve, and means for thereafter restoring said abutment to the position in which it again prevents said movable clamping member from attaining clamping position.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,353,741 Matthews et al. July 18, 1944 2,595,514 Davis et al. May 6, 1952 2,698,705 Hitz Jan. 4, 1955 

